Being “skinny fat” can have a huge impact
your life and health if you’re not careful and did you know that skinny people
can still suffer from digestive health problems?
Skinny fat is a term that describes a
person who is in a healthy weight range but has more body fat than is healthy.
Skinny fat is also termed Metabolically Obese Normal Weight (MONW). It relates
to the way fat tissue is carried in the body. And, whether the body fat is
visible or is invisible (i.e. located deep inside you coating vital organs such
as the heart, kidneys, liver and pancreas). Too much body fat (especially belly
fat) causes metabolic changes such as inflammation. That’s because visceral
fat, the fat stored deep inside you is metabolically active, triggering
inflammation which stops blood from flowing freely.
Essentially skinny fat happens when you
carry too much fat and not enough muscle.
A staggering one in four people with MONW
have pre-diabetes according to a study in the Journal of the American Medical
Association and you may be affected if:
• You
have a waist measurement of greater than 94cm for men or 80cm for women. Belly
fat is an indicator of internal fat deposits, which can coat the internal
organs, and increase the risk of chronic disease.
• You
have an abnormal blood cholesterol profile i.e. if you have high triglycerides,
especially with a low HDL- or good cholesterol.
• Your
blood sugar is consistently higher than normal range and/or if you are diabetic
and your blood glucose is not well controlled.
• You
have insulin resistance. This is when insulin is being produced but cannot take
blood glucose into the cells in order to keep blood glucose levels to within
the normal range. Too much circulating insulin prevents the breakdown of fat in
body cells and encourages the production of more fat from the excess
circulating glucose.
• You
have an abnormal liver function test. This can be an early indicator of excess
fat in the liver. Your doctor will discuss this with you.
What you can do?
• Cut down on sugary carbohydrates and white bread, pasta and foods made from white flour.
• Choose low GI carbohydrates (Nutrimeal and USANA Snacks are both ultra-low GI).
• Ditch soft drinks (including juices)
• Moderate alcohol (is also converted into triglycerides and stored in the liver and around the belly).
• Try cereals like quinoa and amaranth which contain more protein and fewer carbs.
• Boost your aerobic exercise to cut down fat sores and increase strength training to help muscle fibres grow in size.
Another great idea is to try a liver lovin’
cleanse with USANA’s HepaPlus supplement, which contains numerous ingredients
including milk thistle extract, alpha lipoic acid to support healthy liver
function. Alpha lipoic acid is a naturally occurring antioxidant that helps
neutralize free radicals. Most antioxidants are either soluble in fat or water
soluble so they can’t access every part of every cell. Alpha lipoic acid is
able to enter both the fatty and aqueous (water-based) sections of the cell,
boosting its ability to trap free radicals wherever they are.
HepaPlus contains choline a substance which
helps to emulsify (break down) fats. This helps them to be removed from the
liver. Food sources of choline include eggs, beef, salmon, wheat germ and
broccoli. All of these ingredients not only help cleanse and remove fat in
liver but they also help regenerate cells.
So what are you waiting for? Start making changes to create a happy,
healthy life for yourself.
Vitamin supplements should not replace a balanced
diet. Use only as directed. Always read the label.
Labels: #digestivedelight, #liverlovin'cleanse, antioxidants, digestive delight, hepaplus, Nutrimeal, quinoa, skinny fat, usana Australia, USANA snacks
